Waiting For Absolution
by The Musical Jedi
Summary: AU Obidala. ObiWan struggles with the conflicting roles of Jedi, lover, Master, and general as the Galaxy falls apart around him. IN PROGRESS
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** Waiting for Absolution

**Author:** The Musical Jedi

**Characters:** Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé

**Genre:** AU, Angst, Quasi-Obidala

**Timeframe:** AOTC through ROTS timeframe

**Disclaimer:** These characters, their galaxy, and all things recognizable as Star Wars belong to George Lucas. If OCs do appear, they belong to me. I make no profit from this. Thank you, Mr. Lucas, for letting us play in your sandbox, and for creating such a grand sandbox to begin with.

**Author's Notes:** This is an idea that got stuck in my head when I wrote _Sacrifice_. It's actually amusing to me in a sad kind of way; I used to swear I'd never write an Obidala, but this one just won't leave me alone. Though, before you all begin leaving in droves, this isn't going to be your average Obidala. Also, as a word to the mush lovers out there, Disney this is not. It's going to be a dark world. I guess in the end this is my attempt to answer my own question: Who, in the end, answers for the hubris of the Jedi who break the rules? Perhaps the draw to love is, in the end, self-destructive.

Please, please give me feedback.

And now without further ado:

* * *

**_Waiting for Absolution_**

**_

* * *

_**

And now the purple dusk of twilight time  
Steals across the meadows of my heart  
High up in the sky the little stars climb   
Always reminding me that we're apart

You wander down the lane and far away  
Leaving me a song that will not die  
Love is now the stardust of yesterday  
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder why I spend  
The lonely night dreaming of a song  
The melody haunts my reverie  
And I am once again with you  
When our love was new  
And each kiss an inspiration   
But that was long ago  
Now my consolation  
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall  
When stars are bright  
You are in my arms  
The nightingale tells his fairy tale  
A paradise where roses bloom  
Though I dream in vain  
In my heart it will remain  
My stardust melody  
The memory of love's refrain

_Stardust_, Nat King Cole

* * *

Prologue

* * *

_Out on the fringes of the Jundland Wastes, I am still surprised that even here, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, on the farthest outflung arm of the galaxy, I can still be caught unaware by the harsh beauty of the binary sunset. I have seen thousands of planets, probably more than most sentients even imagine exist, some with beauty that is verdant and obvious, other with a more subtle touch to the grandeur afforded to their landscape, flora, and fauna. Here on Tatooine, however, it always seems like the landscape is too harsh to yield to beauty. There are no hints of fecundity to cling to in the blazing heat or chilling nights. No breath-taking vistas, impressive waterfalls, or teasing forests. Just sand as far as the eye can see._

_But here, there is a time in the evening, when the first sun has just begun to dip below the horizon, when colors bathe the browns, turning them to crimsons and amethysts and ceruleans. These shades, which I can see from the front door of the small shelter I now call home, serve to remind me in ways that I can't really articulate of the life I once led, a life so completely different, it's hard to imagine that I am still the same person, that the young man who grew up on Coruscant evolved into the old wizard who haunts the sands of the Wastes and does little but cultivate rumors which are traded as avidly as goods in the small towns that dot the landscape._

_Part of me wonders what the gossip is tonight. I can remember being in the Temple and hearing what the Jedi would discuss, being aware of the hushed tones that would drift down the halls even there. Rumors abounded when Anakin came to the Temple, and I think every being there, except for me, had the discussion with someone as to whether or not he was the Chosen One. Rumors about my being the Sith killer. Rumors about the Nubian queen, who later became a Senator. All of this a focus before the Clone Wars absorbed all conversation and leeched the light-heartedness from the Order._

_What happened to those days?_

_Crimson fades to amethyst as the first sun dips below the horizon, and I can feel the chill begin to seep into my old bones. I take a deep breath, enjoying the crispness of the air, savoring this moment of comfort, where the air is not too hot, but hasn't dropped to the point of invoking shivers. I close my eyes and expand my senses, searching out beyond my small home, across the Wastes, into the farming area. Out there, I find the boy I'm looking at, a weak point in the Force, but steady. I check every evening, feeling this source slowly grow as the boy grows, an instinctive reaching, searching, that is so much like his father, I find it hard to breath._

_Abruptly, I break off the connection. Moments are safe, instants where I can change the ebb of the Force, but if I linger too long, the flux would become noticeable as something manipulated and not just a natural eddy within the Force's movement._

_I try not to linger on many things these days._

_I turn away from the suns and amble behind my small home, moving away from the crest which conceals it. There, I can see the empty expanse of sky that seems to this dusty, sleepy planet. With my eyes, I pick out systems I know, ones that I have traveled to, as well as others I have heard of. Even in the falling darkness I can pick out the hazy band streaking the sky, the Mid Rim of the Galaxy, behind which hides the Core._

_Somewhere, behind that band, lost in its own haze of power and emotion – which I helped to create – is Coruscant, the only place I've ever really called home._

_In my mind, locked in memories I can't complete block out, I see the Temple, the last time I saw that beautiful building, dark smoke curling from the central building. Although I was klicks away, lost among the crowds of the Entertainment District, I could almost smell the acrid stench, taste the ashes on my tongue._

_I felt the heat as many of my comrades did, brave sentients who, in the end, paid the ultimate price for a crime they didn't commit._

_Yoda has seen – had known – what was to come, and he had wisely sent me away, giving me a task I couldn't refuse._

_I should have been there._

_Tatooine has finally managed to make me see the kind of patience that the Jedi were always striving for, but none in the Order, save Yoda, could ever accomplish. There is a kind of serenity inherent in the lifestyle of a hermit that appeals to the Jedi raised in me – although it serves to make the man restless. It is hard to keep focus on the one last task before me, when I have been presented with such a commodity of time. There are long stretches of the day where I have learned to quiet my mind and meditate on the path that brought me here – to Tatooine that first time – and to this point in my existence._

_In the end, it's a story I can't keep myself from analyzing; like a favorite story demanded by the Younglings, I know the characters intimately. I have seen the choices they made over and over again, reflected on what should have been done, as opposed to what has happened. I've tried to find meaning within the motivations, figured out where the fairy tale when sour._

_I can only tell it to myself, over and over again. Pick apart the points where I could have made different decisions, points where I could have saved the Galaxy from what it has become._

_Saved my Padawan from what he is now._

_Saved Padmé from the fate she met in the end._

_It is the ultimate penance, I suppose. I'll must wait – and remember – until the boy – Anakin and Padmé's son – is old enough to understand._

_I have to be the one to explain to him. _

_Maybe by then I'll understand too._

_Perhaps by then I will have forgiven myself._


	2. A Quiet Dinner

I've been searching for reason  
And I'm running out of time  
I can feel that it's the season  
It's time to make up my mind  
And I can't really tell you  
What I'm going to do  
There are so many thoughts in my head  
There are two roads to walk down and one road to choose  
So I'm thinking over the things that you've said  
Thinking over the things...

_Thinking Over_, Dana Glover

* * *

A Quiet Dinner

* * *

Obi-Wan stood in the turbolift, calmly regarding the cityscape of Coruscant without really seeing it. His arms were tucked deep into the opposite sleeves of his darker, outer robe, hands cupping his elbows as the middle levels of the buildings in the Senate District shot away from him, fading into distant lines, crisscrossing into the great walkways that made up the planet. Sun filtered in through the buildings as it began to dip below the line of sentient-made edifices, casting hazy bands of gold in between the superstructures.

The Jedi Knight reflected on the brief message left on his comlink which had brought him to this turbolift, in this particular part of the Senate District. It had been only three seconds long, which was long enough to pique his curiosity without providing substantial information. _Master Kenobi, I would like to meet with you. Please contact me at my apartment. I would appreciate it if you would not mention my request to your Padawan._

He made arrangements to meet with the Senator who had called, taking care to pick an evening when Anakin had already made plans to speak with the Chancellor. Not one to indulge in such secrecy, Obi-Wan had been surprised how easy it was to set up the meeting without his Padawan's knowledge. Normally, he wouldn't have considering doing such a thing; however, it was a favor to an old friend.

The lift began to slow, giving Obi-Wan a sense of heaviness. He turned, noting the indicator flicker through numbers as it rapidly approached his destination. As the lift stopped, he took a moment to pull his hands out of his sleeves, adjusting them to hang correctly. The door slid open, revealing the private apartment.

_It hasn't changed at all_, the Knight reflected as he stepped into the atrium which led into a formal sitting area. _Of course, it hasn't been that long since Anakin and I were here – before Geonosis. A few months at most?_ He resisted the impulse to shake his head; it felt as long a much more time had passed.

Looking around, Obi-Wan realized that there wasn't anyone to greet him. He stepped tentatively into the sitting room, wary of interrupting his host before she was ready to meet him. Then, from the direction of the master bedroom, a woman of small stature and dark hair appeared, taking note of the Jedi instantly. She smiled warmly, giving a small curtsey. "Master Kenobi, I'm glad to see you again. The Senator asked me to escort you to the dining room. She will be with you momentarily; her committee meeting ran late."

Obi-Wan smiled at the handmaiden. "It is good to see you too, Dormé. I hope that you and your lady are doing well."

Dormé nodded, tipping her head to the side slightly as she gestured the opposite direction from the bedroom. "I can say that we are, although there has been much to do since she returned."

They walked in companionable silence to the other room, where a small but well appointed table sat, covered with plates and utensils. Two chairs sat, one at each short end of the oval table. Near the table sat a small silver-colored bucket sat full of ice with a bottle in it. A small server sat behind it, made of wood matching the dining table, with a platter covered with a lid. Half of the room was a glass wall, overlooking the edge of the Senate District and beyond. The Jedi Knight reflected that the morning light must be beautiful in here.

Dormé indicated a seat, as well as pointing out the bottle in the ice bucket. "The Senator asks that you make yourself comfortable. She'll be in shortly."

Obi-Wan touched her arm as she turned away. The handmaiden glanced back, and he saw that her dark eyes revealed nothing of what she was thinking. "Do you know why I am here?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I was asked not to say. Padmé wishes to tell you personally."

The Jedi nodded slowly, taking in that bit of information. "Thank you, Dormé."

As the handmaiden left, Obi-Wan poured himself a glass of the vintage Nubian wine chilling and went over to take in the view.

A few moments later, at the sound of rustling fabric, he turned, smiling at the younger woman before him. She smiled in return, and Obi-Wan bowed graciously to her. "It's a pleasure to see you again, especially in better circumstances, Senator," he stated.

Padmé gave him a sharp look. "None of that, Obi-Wan. I would prefer you call me Padmé. I'm glad to see that Geonosis has left you none the worse for wear. Sit down." Once the Knight was seated, Padmé uncovered the platter on the server, carefully giving Obi-Wan a generous portion of the dish. Then, she gave herself her own share, placing the platter in the middle of the table in reach of them both.

As the dinner wore on and Obi-Wan made pleasant conversation with Padmé, he became more and more nonplussed as to the real reason he was there. The discussion ran towards the upcoming conflict with the Separatists in what Yoda had declared the Clone Wars, but it was nothing that was specifically pertinent to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Soon the plates were empty, and both beings full.

Padmé stood, depositing her napkin onto her plate. "I suppose we should get down to business," she said with a rueful smile. "Please join me in the study."

Obi-Wan followed, his confusion mounting with every step he took. As they came into the small room, also with ceiling-to-floor glass walls on two sides, these darkened as night had fallen over this district, Padmé closed the door behind them. She indicated one of the plush, high-backed chairs in the room, settling into the one across from him. The room spoke of efficiency and accomplishment; a desk sat in the glassed-in corner, looking over to a wall with holopictures, most of her homeworld. On the other wall was a collection of datapads, as well as a comm station. The room was open and airly, reflecting the indirect, almost natural-appearing light given off by the light banks along the floors and the winds.

Steepling her fingers, the Senator looked over them to regard Obi-Wan with her deep, earthy brown eyes. "I'm not sure how to discuss this with you," she admitted, "so I suppose I'll just come out and say what I've been troubled by since my return from Geonosis." She glanced down, finding an interesting spot on her skirt before looking back up. "I'm worried about your Padawan. About Anakin."

Obi-Wan felt his eyebrows rise on his forehead. "Anakin?" He shifted his weight, resting his right hand on his knee, cocking his elbow out to the side in consideration. "Why are you concerned about him?"

"I'm afraid that he might be prone to making…" She looked back up and paused, making small motions with her wrist, "making bad decisions. That he'll throw away his commitment to the Jedi Order."

The Jedi Knight's expression changed subtly, becoming less open and lighthearted. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Padmé flowed to her feet, her skirts making shifting sounds in the silences. She moved to look out the window, towards the Jedi Temple. "When we were on Naboo, Anakin…" Padmé stopped, and Obi-Wan suddenly became aware that she – the great Nubian senator whose words and actions saved perhaps her entire planet – couldn't find the words to express what she brought here to tell him. "He thinks he's in love. In his mind, I'm the same girl that came to Tatooine so many years ago… And he's in love with that girl – or at least who he thinks that girl was."

She turned back around, her arms crossed loosely over her stomach. "He told me as much… said that he's thought of me every day since the last one he saw me. Said that the thought of me not being with him was tormenting him."

Obi-Wan sat in silence for a moment. "Did you encourage him at all?"

A small smile played across the Senator's lips. "You mean, do I reciprocate his feelings? I admit, it would be hard to resist if I felt he was actually passionate about _me_. Who I am now. Instead, he believes he's in love with a girl he created from the belief he saw an angel ten years ago. But no, I did not encourage him. Even in the arena, when we both – or at least I – thought we were going to die, he seemed to be looking for," she paused, choosing her words carefully, "validation for his feelings. Some indication that I felt the same way. But I didn't give him that validation and I didn't feel the same way. I still don't."

The Jedi Knight shifted in his seat again, and Padmé moved away from the window to sit in hers. "I struggled for a long time on whether or not to tell you, Obi-Wan. Anakin is my friend, especially with what we went through here on Coruscant, and on Naboo and Tatooine and Geonosis. It seemed like meddling, the worst kind. But in the end, I felt I had to. I'd rather not see him throw away everything he's worked so hard for over an angel that exists only in his mind."

"It's hard to say what should be done," Obi-Wan replied softly. He stroked his beard, contemplating for a moment. "But you're only confirming something I've sensed myself. He has become distant in the days back on Coruscant. Probably distant even before." Unbidden, the image of Anakin yelling at his Master sprang in his mind, the argument they had had before confronting Dooku. It had seemed out of character, but now the pieces began to fall into place.

"However, if we confront Anakin directly, it's possible he'll simply deny that it is a problem at all."

The Senator gave a small shrug. "I defer to the judgment of the Jedi of course. I simply thought you should know."

"There might be other ways to warn Anakin against a decision he would regret. I might speak with the Chancellor; my Padawan takes his advice very seriously and asks for it on all manner of subjects beyond the realm of the Force."

Padmé leaned forward, propping her arms on her thighs. "That is rather kind of the Chancellor, especially given the troubling times the Republic is entering."

The Jedi leaned back, a small frown coming onto his face. "I'm afraid for the Republic. The Separatists have many resources with which the Republic simply can't compete. There has been talk of the Jedi taking command of units of the clones – but then what happens? I won't deny that we learn battle tactics in our training, but it was never meant to be used for something like this." He should his head. Suddenly, he looked up at the Senator, his cerulean eyes boring in to hers. "Do you remember what Qui-Gon told you before we landed on Naboo?"

Padmé shifted her weight, sitting up straight again. "He told me that he could only protect me," she said quietly, looking completely unlike a Senator in that moment and focusing on some point near the floor, "that he couldn't fight a war for me."

He resumed his previous position, arm cocked out to the side. "My Master is still right, but it looks like we're going to try." Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, his expression suddenly lightening. "But I'll leave those decisions to those who know best."

"You don't think the Republican Senate tries to do what's best for her people?"

The Jedi Knight stood, and the Senator looked up at him expectantly. "I have no doubts," he began slowly, "that you are very much in the minority by voting for what you think is best for the citizens of this Republic."

Padmé stood up slowly, and Obi-Wan was reminded of the queen she used to be. "'You must be the change you wish to see in the world' is, I believe, how the saying goes," she said quietly, her gaze unflinchingly focused on him, each word weighted to emphasize the idea behind it.

The moment stretched past the point of comfort, and Obi-Wan and Padmé looked at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away. Finally, Padmé smiled, carefully using her expression to diffuse the moment.

"Well, I would hate to keep you from your duties, Master Kenobi," she said, indicating the door that lead back into the dining room.

Obi-Wan smiled gently as he opened the door, responding, "I'm not a Master yet, m'lady. I have to see Anakin trained first." They passed through the door. "Thank you for your hospitality. The food was excellent, and I appreciate the information you've given me about my Padawan."

The pair walked through the apartment until they were standing in front of the turbolift. "Thank you again for coming, Obi-Wan," the young woman said. "I hope you will let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

He cocked his head to the side, looking slightly amused. "Of course, Padmé. I hope you will do the same if you need anything from me." Obi-Wan bowed respectfully. "Good evening, Senator."

"Good bye, Obi-Wan."


	3. Snippets

**Disclaimer:** These characters, their galaxy, and all things recognizable as Star Wars belong to George Lucas. If OCs do appear, they belong to me. I make no profit from this. Thank you, Mr. Lucas, for letting us play in your sandbox, and for creating such a grand sandbox to begin with.

If I haven't said it (and I can't remember if I have or not) please ask before archiving or linking here.

Also, thanks for reading. :)

* * *

Snippets

* * *

Anakin stood in the sparring room, his lightsaber held aloft. Over his eyes was a set of blinders, wrapping from his temples over the bridge of his nose, completely blocking all of his vision. His breathing was slow and deep, and he stood relaxed in this position, fingers tapping against the hilt of his lightsaber as he waited.

One of the sparring droids activated, and suddenly the Padawan's stance shifted from defensive to offensive. His blade hummed as he made a pivot turn, reaching out with his sense to find the droid behind him. The Force sang to him, and Anakin felt in complete control of its thrums and ebbs as he reached out. The blade made a satisfying hiss as it came into contact with the droids outer shell.

Three other droids activated in that instant, and Anakin swung back around, drinking in the Force. It gave him a giddy high as he blocked two blaster shots from two different droids, sending them both into the third. The deflected shots took out the droid's thrusters, and it dropped to the floor with a resounding clang.

Anakin flipped to his side, his legs spinning over his head, and as he landed, he brought a back-handed slash into another droid, finishing off the one on the floor with a flourish at the end of the motion. Then, he destroyed the final droid with a Force push which sent it careening into the wall of the room, shattering mechanical parts into the air.

The entire exercise took less time than it took for Anakin to deactivate his lightsaber.

He pulled off the blinders and left the room, clipping his lightsaber to his belt. Beside the row of sparring rooms, he found a towel bin and wiped the sweat from his hairline and neck. Throwing the towel over his shoulder, Anakin went back into the room to collect the damaged droids and clean the room for the next user. When he had taken care of that, he came out of the sparring room to find Mace Windu waiting for him.

The Jedi Master looked faintly amused, the corners of his mouth turned up just enough to alter his normally severe expression. "That was rather impressive, Anakin."

The Padawan gave a respectful bow. "Thank you, Master Windu," he responded, unsure of why he was owed this honor.

Mace gestured that he would walk with Anakin, placing his hands behind his back after the motion. "I was asked to request your presence this evening at a special convening of the Jedi Council. The Senate has just passed a bill placing the clone troopers under the authority of the Jedi; therefore, we have to see to it that the troopers have commanders and generals for the upcoming engagements."

They walked down the hall for a few moments before Anakin ventured a reply. "You don't sound very happy about that decision, Master," he said carefully.

The Jedi Master gave a small shrug. "We are supposed to be keepers of the peace. While we are trained to be warriors in a fashion, it is supposed to be based defensively. Not offensively. Jedi do not take in the same considerations as do military generals."

Anakin glanced at Mace. "Some battles need to be fought," he said quietly.

Mace gave the Padawan a rare, faint smile. "Be in the Council Chambers at 2100, and we'll discuss this more at length."

Anakin watched Mace as he walked away, unsure of what had actually just transpired. Slowly he shook his head, trying to clear it, before going back to the quarters he shared with his master.

Once there, he took a shower, washing away the grime and sweat of his latest training session. He had been spending a lot of time in the sparring rooms lately, trying to find a way to burn away his feelings through the pain he felt in his muscles as he pushed his body to its very limits.

Anakin was clean and clothed in fresh garments when he realized he still had some time before the Council meeting. He walked into his room, his booted feet silent on the plush carpet that blanketed the quarters. Once in the room, he reached into the pocket of one of the pouches on his utility belt. For a moment his fingers searched within the pouch, closing on a small object. His hand withdrew, and Anakin moved to perch on the edge of his bed.

He sat there for a moment, rolling the object in his fingers, staring at some point between his feet. The Padawan then drew a deep breath, focusing his sight onto his hands.

The object was a soft tan, an almost square piece of japor with a small hole bored through the top of the piece. Through the hole was threaded a piece of leather. On the snippet was a symbol, a small square with a dot in the middle with lines leading from the corners of the square to the corners of the japor itself. Carefully, Anakin rubbed the ball of his thumb over the lines leading from corner to corner, contemplating the marks the tools left in the japor, tracing the dark lines on the piece.

And then a darker spot appeared on the japor, soaking into the organic material.

Anakin found himself gasping quietly for breath. He rubbed at one of his eyes with the back of his hand, impatiently moving from that eye to the other. The Padawan resisted the impulse to smell the japor, to inhale the very scent of his home and what of Padmé's personal aroma still clung to the japor and had seeped into the leather that once hung around her neck.

In the other room, Anakin heard the portal hiss open, and he scrambled to his feet, hiding the snippet away in his utility belt and scrubbing the tears from his face before Obi-Wan came back to the bedrooms. He glanced around frantically before tumbling to the floor to kneel there, closing his eyes and focusing his attention on his breathing.

Just as Anakin affected the perfect appearance of a Jedi in deep meditation, Obi-Wan looked into his bedroom. Slowly, the Padawan opened his eyes, trying to appear as though he were coming back to the physical plane from a very deep meditation. He blinked a few times, clearing his vision, then focused on Obi-Wan.

His Master has a strange, quirked smile on his face, something deeply sentimental though distant, as though he were contemplating something he had never personally experienced. Then the expression shifted into Obi-Wan's normal, gentle smile. "It's good to see you meditating, Anakin," he said warmly.

Anakin nodded slowly, reflecting that while what he had been doing was probably accurately called "meditation," he didn't think his master would be so approving if he knew the truth. "I've been working to find my center since Geonosis," he responded, half-truthfully. The Padawan glanced down, flexing his mechanical right hand a few times, hearing the servos gently whir to make the motion possible. "I left more than my hand there."

Obi-Wan's tilted his head, moving to lean against the doorframe. He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It serves a good lesson, though, Padawan. As a Jedi you must forgo all attachment, even that for your body. Sacrifice is critical to what you are aspiring to do."

Anakin's expression clouded for a moment but cleared up through conscious effort. "I know, Master. It is one of my more severe failings."

Anakin watched Obi-Wan look down at him for a moment before his Master shifted his weight back to his two feet. "I know that idleness is not your favorite state of being," the Jedi Knight began slowly, "but I think that's about to change. Perhaps a more… challenging environment will help you to focus."

The Padawan rose smoothly to his feet, thankful for this obvious chance to change the subject. "I have been summoned to the Council Chambers this evening. Master Windu told me that the Senate has just passed a bill placing the clone troopers directly under the command of the Jedi Order. It sounds like we may get military ranks as well as Jedi ones."

"I had wondered if that would happen," Obi-Wan responded quietly. "It would seem that there is no one in the Republic who could control of the clone army effectively."

Anakin shrugged. "The Chancellor seemed completely confident about the decision when I spoke with him this evening. He seems to have complete faith in the Order to do its sworn duty."

A grin flashed across the older man's face. "I think that war has very little to do with justice and peace, Padawan," he said, his tone lightening the words.

His Padawan was not amused. "What other option is there? Let the Separatists destroy the Republic?"

"That," Obi-Wan replied, "is a point I can't argue against."

* * *

Anakin stood in the center of the Council Chamber facing Mace Windu with the rest of the Council to his sides at back. The older Jedi Master sat in his chair, leaning forward slightly and radiating an intensity that was as familiar to the Padawan as the other man's bald pate and dark eyes and face. He had one hand rubbing his jawbone, the other on his knee.

"The Supreme Chancellor contacted us earlier this evening officially informing the Jedi Council of the powers granted to us by the Senate. He strongly recommended that we assign Jedi to command posts as soon as possible so that we may surprise the Separatists."

He glanced to his former Padawan, who smiled briefly and took over the discussion. "We have decided that, due to your prowess and your current standing in your training, you should be one of the first Jedi assigned to a cohort of clones." Depa paused for a moment, her dark eyes boring straight into Anakin's icy blue. "Make no mistake, Padawan Skywalker, this will not be an easy task. It has also been decided that this is partially a test of the skills you've acquired thus far. No one can deny your skill with a lightsaber, but that is not the true measure of a Jedi."

"You will be sent to Dantooine." Mace straightened, and Anakin almost got the impression he would have liked to stand. "We have received reports that the Separatists hope to take over the system to prevent the Republic from strengthening her grip there. Although the planet itself has little value, it will prove to be a valuable foothold to reach to Muunilinst."

Yoda cleared his throat, and Anakin turned to regard the small, green Master. "Located there, a Jedi enclave is. Protected, it must be, as warriors they are not. Taught purely in contemplation of the Force, the inhabitants there are."

"You will have three days before you ship out. The specifics of your assignment are contained on this datacard." Master Windu handed him the card, and Anakin bowed respectfully. "May the Force be with you, Anakin."

* * *

Obi-Wan was waiting when Yoda and Mace came out of the Council Chamber. He stood, relaxed, looking at some of the ancient Jedi sculpture that flanked the doors leading into the chamber. Mace took in the other Jedi's presence wordlessly. Yoda flattened his ears against his skull and gestured back into the Council Chamber. "Discuss your meeting, we should," he said simply.

The Jedi Knight took in the Council Chamber with a sense of awe as he generally did when he entered it; he supposed it was a holdback from his days as a Padawan, often frightened and intimidated to be asked into this room. The large windows which circled the room showed Coruscant at night; darkness that was more grey than black, permeated by millions of lights shining through transparisteel windows and reflecting from the underbellies of shuttles, personal craft, and ships heading out to the waystation before making the jump to hyperspace away from the Core world. Views like these made Obi-Wan understand why Coruscant was often called the Jewel of the Republic.

Windu looked tired as he regarded Obi-Wan, who was looking absently out the transparisteel. Yoda looked slightly amused. "What did Senator Amidala have to say?" the taller Jedi asked without preamble.

Obi-Wan glanced back, his mouth set in a grim line. "Apparently my Padawan confessed his undying love to her on Naboo. Fortunately for us, she had the foresight to remind him that was out of the question for his training."

Yoda's ears rose. "Listen, did young Skywalker?"

Kenobi strolled over to the window and looked out over the cityscape before responding, "Anakin's not very good about listening to what he doesn't want to hear."

Mace's brow furrowed as he considered. "Has he tried to contact her since they returned?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. I think she would have mentioned it to me if he had."

Leaning on his gimmer stick, Yoda exhaled slowly. "Dangerous, are his emotions. Right, we are, to send him away, to make him focus on something else."

"A Jedi isn't supposed to have attachments," Mace replied. "They become an all-consuming interference."

"You can't force him to just give up this emotion," Obi-Wan said quietly. "You know Anakin, though maybe not as well as I. The harder you push him, the more he will pull away. The Senator has said that she didn't encourage him, and I doubt that she will begin any time soon. It's possible that should we just leave it alone, his emotion will die out as he realizes it is unrequited." The Jedi Knight turned from the window. Mace tipped his head slightly, shrewdly looking at Obi-Wan.

"Is that wise?"

"Skywalker's, the choice is, in the end." Yoda began to move across the Council Chamber floor. "Choose for him we cannot. Only train him, we can." He came to stand at Mace's feet, staring up into his face. "Make his decision, he will have to, when faces the Trials he does. Until then, wait, and watch, we must."

The old Master moved across the floor, his feet silent but his gimmer stick making a gentle clacking sound as he went. At the door he paused, turning around to look at both Jedi who had their eyes on him.

"Patient, a Jedi is. Listen to the currents of the Force, he does, before taking irrevocable action."


	4. The Assignment

See previous for ANs, disclaimers, requests about archiving/linking, etc.

We're getting to the Obidala part… I promise there is some in this story. ;) Thanks again, as always, for reading and especially replying.

* * *

The Assignment

* * *

Obi-Wan stood on a landing platform on the roof of the main building of the Temple, his head buried deep into the hood of his outer robe. He watched the sun slowly begin to filter through the buildings surrounding the Temple as it slowly began to peek over the lower levels of the skyscrapers.

He turned as the door to the Temple hissed open. His Padawan, head also covered to protect it from the strong wind, stepped out, his cloak held tightly around his body. Anakin saw his Master, giving the older man a faint grin from the depths of cloth around his face. "I didn't think anyone would come to see me off," he said, coming to stand right off Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"You're still my Padawan, even if we don't go on missions together any more," the Jedi Knight laughed back.

They stood in companionable silence for a moment, both regarding his starfighter. "Is it standard procedure to send me to the way station on Coruscant Primary to meet my cohort?"

Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, his shoulders lifting in a small shrug. "I can't say, Padawan. I've never been in a war before."

Anakin glanced at his Master, blinking slowly. He shook his head slightly. "Master…" The young man stopped, looking away back to his fighter. "I am afraid."

The Jedi Knight's face softened, and he placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "There's no shame in being afraid, Anakin. It's what you do with that emotion that influences your path. Release it as you've been taught. Remember, Jedi have no attachments, not even to emotions."

Obi-Wan felt Anakin's shoulder lift under his hand as the Padawan took a deep breath. He felt a surge in the Force and then a release, though he couldn't tell if it was from Anakin or just from his manipulation within the Force.

"Just remember your training, Padawan. It won't lead you astray."

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan, his blue eyes eerily darkened by the morning light and the shadow cast by his hood. "Of course, Master."

A fierce gust of wind blasted across the landing platform, rendering speech impossible. As the two Jedi stood there, waiting for the wind to subside, two other Master approached.

From just inside the door leading out to the platform, Yoda leaned against his gimmer stick, regarding the pair standing outside. Next to him stood Mace, whose face was drawn and blank. "I'm not convinced that, after whatever it was that happened on Tatooine, we should be letting Skywalker out on his own. He needs his Master's guiding hand."

"A leader, Anakin is. Learn to put others first, he must, or a Jedi, he will never be."

"Tempted to the Dark Side, is what he is," Mace responded, shifting his weight from one booted foot to the other.

Yoda grunted, his ears swinging forward as he looked up to regard his colleague. "Says he who uses the Dark Side to fight."

Mace chuckled and shook his head. "You know was well as I that Vaapad doesn't manipulate the Force – merely reflects it."

"Tempted, have you never been?" Yoda shifted, his gimmer stick rubbing against the floor. "The pull of the Dark Side, I have felt. Many times, many times."

"You aren't the Chosen One."

"Jedi, I still am." Yoda drew a long breath and released it slowly. "Make his decisions, you can't. Make his decisions, Obi-Wan can't. Want us to, we should not. A Jedi, he will be, if he chooses. His, this decision must be. To be a Jedi, the commitment is made every moment of every day. Alters our destiny, every decision we make does. Easy it is not, to come to that mindframe. Hard for you to see that, it is. Raised to this, you were. No other life did you consider."

"I hope you're right." Mace moved towards the door, which slide open.

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin turned at his entrance. Yoda followed behind slowly.

Anakin gave them a respectful bow. "I'm ready to leave, Masters."

"May the Force be with you, Padawan," Obi-Wan said gravely to Anakin. The Padawan smiled back, giving a small nod and making the same response back to his Master. The younger man jumped into his starfighter. The three Jedi watched it as it lifted from the landing platform and began to angle away into the airlanes which would lead it out beyond the atmosphere to the way station that was located on Coruscant's largest moon.

Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the fighter until he couldn't see it any longer.

With a quiet sigh, he finally turned away. Mace glanced at him then shifted his gaze to the oldest Jedi. Without preamble, Yoda looked at Obi-Wan for a long moment before saying matter-of-factly, "Summoned, we have been, to the Chancellor's office."

The Jedi Knight blinked for a moment. "Summoned? All of us?" He sought Mace's eyes for confirmation.

"The Supreme Chancellor has requested you personally for what he called a 'delicate mission.' He wouldn't offer us any more explanation except to ask we be in his office at 800 this morning."

Taking a moment to readjust his robes, Obi-Wan nodded. "Then I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting."

The shuttle ride was short and comfortably quiet. Obi-Wan absently watched the buildings that blurred past the outside of the shuttle as it ducked and weaved through the complicated traffic lanes that crisscrossed the Coruscanti sky.

Once at the Chancellor's personal offices, the Jedi were quickly ushered in. Obi-Wan followed Mace and Yoda into the room, noting with some surprise that not only was Palpatine present, but Senator Amidala was there as well. One eyebrow climbed her forehead as she watched the three Jedi enter before she turned back to the Supreme Chancellor. "I'm guessing they are the guests we've been waiting for?" she inquired, not unkindly, as she smoothly stood and nodded respectfully to the newcomers.

Palpatine gave a gentle, indulgent smile to the Senator. "You would be correct." He gestured to the sitting area where Amidala already was. "Please, sit, gentlebeings."

Padmé sat down while the Jedi each picked out a seat. Yoda chose to perch cross-legged on the armrest of one of the chairs, putting himself at eyelevel with the other people in the room. Palpatine stood before them, glancing between his visitors to make sure they were all comfortable. Once they were all settled, he drew a slow breath, taking a moment to looking into each being's eyes.

"Since the incident at Geonosis, I have received a number of inquiries from systems currently not within the Galactic Republic. Most of them have been inquiring merely our formal position regarding the Separatists, but a handful have been requests to join the Republic so as to be sheltered from our opponents."

The Senator's brow creased as she glanced from the Supreme Chancellor to the Jedi. "But why would they come to us for protection? They stand more of a chance to be attacked by becoming a member of the Galactic Republic."

A smile appeared and disappeared from Palpatine's face in a moment. He glanced at the floor thoughtfully before continuing. "I think most systems would prefer to find their safety in numbers. With the clone troops, we have the resources to protect such regions. Besides, without protection, it's likely the systems would be conquered for their value in production or resources regardless."

Slowly, the Chancellor turned and approached his desk. From his chair, he activated a small holoprojector, which produced a map of the galaxy, hovering over his desk. "One of the most intriguing requests to join our assembly came from here, near the border between the Mid and Outer Rims," he said, pointing to an area in the southern part of the galaxy. "The name of the system is D'Vicia. Their main source of trade comes from the power cells that they produce. Normally, they make a very small contribution in trade to the Republic from the ill terms they have been on with the Trade Federation."

Padmé made a quiet clicking noise with her tongue, her expression a smile with ironic amusement. Palpatine glanced at her, chuckling briefly before resuming. "The cells the D'Via, the primary sentient species of the planet, produce weren't in high demand as they were used in very high grade blasters. However, as you might guess, we've already been stepping out negotiations with the planet. In return for the privilege to even negotiate, they asked for an ambassador to speak to them about joining the Republic."

With flourish, the Chancellor turned off the holoprojector. He walked slowly back in front of his desk and regarding his visitors from the top of the stairs leading to the small dais. "That is why I've asked you all here. They requested strict confidence in this gesture, not waiting to attract attention from the Separatists. One representative to speak with them, coming on a small, nondescript ship that is easily concealed. Identification codes given to them ahead of time to ensure security."

He walked down the stairs. "I have looked into their culture, and they value privacy more than almost anything else in the Galaxy. I would only trust this task to a few beings."

Palpatine folded his hands and turned to the Senator. "Lady Amidala, I wish to entrust you with the diplomatic end of this task. You are one of the Senate's most accomplished members, as well as being very adept at diplomacy and tact. You are also one of my personal friends and someone I know I can trust with a task of such importance."

"Given their desire for privacy and to conceal your presence once there, I had hoped that Knight Kenobi would be able to accompany you and act as a bodyguard and possibly an advisor, if the need for one should arise. I understood that you two worked well together, in conjunction with his Padawan, during the investigation of your assassination attempt."

Obi-Wan shifted positions, placing his hand on his knee as he considered this. "Wouldn't this task be more suited for one of the Senator's handmaidens?" he inquired.

"I feel that this is above and beyond their normal range of training and, no offense to your ladies, capabilities. This situation is very delicate, Knight Kenobi."

Master Windu leaned forward to regard the Chancellor. "I take it that is why Master Yoda and I are here? To give the permission of the Council for this assignment?"

Palpatine smiled. "Precisely."

"What of my senatorial duties, Chancellor?"

The older man gave a slight shrug. "I was hoping that your decoy could pose as you in the Senate, so the detail of you being offplanet would not be noted. You could leave Jar Jar in charge of your affairs as you did when you went back to Naboo."

Padmé nodded slowly. "I suppose that could be arranged."

"And you, Master Yoda? Have you any discussion on the idea?"

"Capable and suited for this assignment, Obi-Wan is. An important task, this is, during an important time for the Republic – and the Clone War."

The Supreme Chancellor nodded and walked back up to his desk. He produced three datachips, giving one to Padmé, one to Obi-Wan, and the last to Yoda. "Here is all the information I have. I hope that you will be ready to leave in the morning?"

The Senator exchanged glances with the Jedi Knight. "I will be ready to leave by then," she said after Obi-Wan gave her a slight nod.

"Wonderful." Palpatine gave the group a very large smile. "I look forward to hearing about the success of this task."


	5. Bad Feelings

Thanks to everyone who's still out there. I am still conquering Organic Chemistry, but things should get better here soon. ;)

See previous pages for disclaimers, etc.

Also, thanks for your wonderful, wonderful reviews! I love getting those emails; they completely make my day. :-D

**

* * *

Bad Feelings

* * *

**

Anakin stood on the bridge of the _Exemplar_, looking out onto the brown and blue orb of Dantooine, rotating placidly against the dark sky behind it. To his side stood a clone commander with the designation R-103, or Ron, as he was known to the other troopers. From this distance, the planet seemed completely unaware of the turmoil that was about to descend upon it.

The Jedi turned to the trooper. "Have you located any Separatist presence on Dantooine?"

"Yes sir," Ron replied, gesturing to a hologrid located to the side of the bridge. He activated it, revealing a 3D map of one of the continents. "The enclave is located here," he pointed for reference. "It appears that the Separatists have set up an outpost about 400 klicks away, near the coast on the eastern side. We suspect that this nearby plain will eventually be used as a spaceport; it is large enough to accommodate medium-sized frigates."

"Have the scanners picked up any other ships in the area?"

The clone shook his dark head. "No, sir. However, it is possible that they might be elsewhere, seeing what we do. The scanners can't pick up anything across the system. There also might be ships cruising behind one of the primary's smaller satellites."

"Very good, Ron." He studied the grid for a few moments longer. "I think our best plan would be to see what assistance the enclave can offer us. They have to know we're here, so we might as well do a thorough job of setting up a base of our own before engaging them." Anakin shook his head then moved to the center of the bridge. "Please contact the enclave," he asked the communications officer.

A few moments later, a humanoid bloomed before him from the holoprojector. It wore simple robes, dressed as a farmer. Its hair was shaved close to its head, revealing the curve of its skull. It blinked slowly, obviously waiting for Anakin to initiate the conversation.

He coughed, trying to cover a sudden flash of unease he felt. "Greetings. I am Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker, from the Jedi Temple located on Coruscant…"

The other being cut him off. "You're a long way from home." The voice was a soft alto, obviously feminine. She smiled gently. "My name is P'la Gania, and I am a Jedi Consular. What brings you to the Enclave?"

"Unfortunately, the war. I have been sent here by the Jedi Council to prevent the Separatists from gaining a foothold on Dantooine. I was hoping to use your enclave as a base, as well as see if some of the Jedi there would help."

Her eyebrows rose. "We will be happy to assist you in your endeavor, Padawan Skywalker, but if you're looking for reinforcements, you need to look elsewhere."

Anakin glanced at the floor for a moment, unsure. "I understand that you are not warriors, but Jedi to lead the clone troopers would be much appreciated."

P'la smiled again, though it went no farther than her teeth. "You misunderstand. We are not warriors from lack of training. We are pacifists by choice; we believe that aggression even in the form of defense is a manifestation of the Dark Side."

The young man gaped for a moment, before collecting himself enough to form a response. "I … I understand, Consular Gania."

"I am sending you your landing coordinates. I look forward to meeting you in person." The image of the woman disappeared.

Anakin looked at Ron. "Pacifists?"

The clone shrugged. "I will prepare the shuttles for landing, sir."

Turning away, Anakin leaned on the railing overlooking the transparisteel, revealing the quiet world before him. "This can't be good."

* * *

"This is it?"

Obi-Wan glanced up from his pre-flight check to watch Padmé cross the landing pad, dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit, complete with a blaster holstered at her hip. He straightened up, watching her stride across the platform.

"It was what I was assigned to," he began, glancing back at the fighter.

It was a newer model of the Jedi starfighters known throughout the galaxy, especially now that they had begun to appear more frequently as Jedi took up command of the clones This model, however, was a double; room for both a pilot and a gunner. The wedge shape of the single-seater fighters had been lengthened to create a double canopy allowing the gunner to sit behind the pilot. Obi-Wan now noticed the sloppy paint job. Parts of the ship hadn't been finished, although it did have the customary Republic insignia on the wing. An astromech droid had been placed into its slot on the port wing. The ship looked like it had been hastily repaired, which – Obi-Wan reflected – was probably not much better than hastily assembled. Nothing even remotely resembled the clean lines and crisp look of the Nubian N-1 starfighters the Senator was used to.

"At least we don't need a hyperspace booster," was all the Jedi could come up with in response to himself.

Padmé stopped to regard the ship, her hands akimbo. "Remind me when I get back to enter a bill requesting more funding for the Jedi."

"Seems to me like she'll get us there in one piece with considerably less attention than anything else."

The Senator moved passed him, chuckling, to jump up onto the wing next to the canopy. "You're far too serious, Obi-Wan. I'm sure this ship is more than adequate for the task at hand, regardless of how she looks. Isn't that one of your Jedi maxims?"

He shook his head slightly, somewhat nonplussed. "We're taught to look past appearances." Obi-Wan trailed off, thinking of his Master. Qui-Gon could always see things as they were, at that instant, despite appearances. It was one of the Rogue's greatest strengths and, in the end, one of his greatest weaknesses.

Padmé slipped into the gunner's seat, while Obi-Wan climbed into the pilot's. "I'm surprised at how little luggage you sent over last night," he remarked as he began the starting sequence. The canopy slid closed over them and pressurized.

"One of the many benefits of being Senator instead of Queen," Padmé responded tartly, though Obi-Wan could hear the jest in her voice. "It'll be nice to get away from the tension of the Capitol for a while. With all of the in-fighting within the Senate, it's amazing we get anything done at all."

"Probably why the Chancellor hand-picked you for this mission. He can trust you to be discrete while keeping the Republic at the front of your thoughts."

She shrugged. "Or perhaps that's why Kenobi the Negotiator is coming along."

Obi-Wan fell silent, piloting the starfighter through the lanes of traffic, navigating it to the lanes that lead off planet. Corsucant fell beneath them, the lights of the city illuminating paths which crisscrossed the surface. Padmé looked down at them, before settling herself into her seat.

"Ready to make the jump?" the Jedi asked.

"Any time you are."

He eased the throttle forward, activating the hyperdrive, and the pair inside the starfighter streaked away.

The journey was a quiet one. Padmé sat in the gunner's seat, alternating between drowsing, lulled by the hum of the worlds streaking by outside the ship, and watching the galaxy go by, as her hands sought the familiar things attached to the utility belt slung around her hips. Obi-Wan meditated most of the time, his face calming and his breathing deep, until he became aware that they were nearly to the D'Vicia system. He roused Padmé as they came out of hyperspace.

The world before them was a verdant green. The planet appeared to have only small, intercontinental seas, although there were many of them. The splotches of land were connected by long, thin causeways. A few larger cities could be seen as they approached.

The comlink chimed. "ID codes, please," a bodyless voice requested. Obi-Wan distractedly sent them, still inspecting the world they were closing in on.

Padmé came completely awake when the comlink chimed again. "These codes are incorrect. Please resubmit."

"Incorrect?" she echoed.

"They're the ones programmed in from the Chancellor's office," Obi-Wan replied. He resent them.

Two ships streaked up from the planet, making their way towards the starfighter. Padmé pointed them out to the Jedi, who drew a deep breath.

"These codes are incorrect. Please disengage from your current vector; you do not have permission to land. Repeat, you do not have permission to land."

Obi-Wan clutched the flightstick, veering the fighter away, although they were still heading towards D'Vicia. "We are ambassadors from Coruscant," he spoke into the comlink, "and we request permission to land."

"Your codes are incorrect. You do not have permission to land. If you continue to head towards the planet, you will be shot at."

"We have been sent by the Supreme Chancellor…"

A laser bolt smacked into the port wing of the ship, frying the astromech droid housed there. Padmé stared at the ruin for a moment. "I don't think they'll let us land," she said quietly.

Obi-Wan yanked on the stick, streaking away on a course that was parallel to the surface of the planet. Laserfire streaked past them, a few catching the ship and battering it around. He flipped the ship, maneuvering it between the local ships, which immediately turned to give chase.

Padmé picked up the com situated next to her seat. "D'Vicia, this is Senator Amidala from the system Naboo, repeat, this is Senator Amidala. The vessel you are attacking carries diplomats. Disengage, repeat, _disengage your fighters_."

"We do not honor Republic diplomatic rules," the maddeningly calm voice replied. "You are trespassing on our airspace."

"You requested our presence!"

"Your identification codes do not match the ones sent to us; therefore…"

The com erupted into static as the entire ship began to buck and turn into a tight spiral.

"They've knocked out our hyperdrive, Padmé," Obi-Wan stated through clenched teeth, "and most of the thrusters which weren't taken out in the first hit are gone. We're landing on D'Vicia whether they like it or not."

"Does seem like we have many other options." She watched through the canopy as the land became more and more distinct, only to suddenly be blurred by the warming of the transparisteel. Obi-Wan managed to level out the ship when another laser cannon caught the starboard wing.

"It's going to be a rough landing," he said as he ducked the fighter beneath the tree canopy. Branches smashed against the ship, their impacts echoing painfully throughout the cockpit. Miraculously, Obi-Wan kept the ship from hitting the larger ones. However, the ship was losing altitude.

The last thing Padmé saw was the ground make contact with the nose of the ship and Obi-Wan's head snap forward before the world crashed into black nothingness.


	6. The Other Side of Politics

Anybody still out here? If you are, here's what you've been waiting for! I apologize for the delay. I've gotten in to med school, which is everything I was hoping it wouldn't be. My goal is to write more frequently (which means more updates for you:)), but I'm not going to give a firm timetable, for fear of breaking it.

Disclaimers: All of these characters belong to George Lucas. Please don't sue me for playing with them; as stated above, I have negative money.

Thanks again for your patience. Feedback/constructive criticism/comments as always are welcome.

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**The Other Side of Politics  
**

* * *

The first thing Padmé was truly aware of was the fact she was coughing. She could feel the straps of her restraining belt digging into her shoulders every time she drew forward, futilely trying to double up as the spasms shook her torso. Initially, she didn't even try to open her eyes, more concentrated on controlling her breathing. Though she didn't know why, she was vaguely ashamed of the gasps coming from her lips each time she inhaled, trying to get enough oxygen into her lungs.

Time passed, and eventually the Senator managed to calm her breathing, although occasionally she still coughed. She opened her eyes, finding the world dark and hazy around her. Her hands were pale as they clutched the dark straps holding her to her seat, making blurry contrasts to her jumpsuit. Padmé blinked a few times, but her vision refused to clear. Deliberately, she relaxed her fingers, releasing the straps, and fumbled to find the clasp holding them closed.

She made a point to ignore the fact her hands were shaking.

In front of her, she heard a low-pitched moan. Slowly, as she tried to force her hands to locate and release the clasp, she shifted to see around the seat in front of her. Light filtered in, making the area in front of the seat gray, but the haziness continued, making Padmé unable to define anything for sure. _I hope that means night is still a number of hours away_, she thought to herself.

The clasp sprung open, and Padmé slumped forward, coughing for a long time and holding her head in her shaking hands. Urgency to be away from the fighter was starting to overcome her, instinct to preserve herself. Through an act mostly of pure will, she leaned forward and tried to find the switch to open the canopy. After a long moment of groping she finally found it, and the transparisteel slowly shifted backwards, grinding on its track and stopping three-fourths the length of the cockpit.

A cool breeze moved through the cockpit, and Padmé rejoiced for a moment at the fresh air, only at that moment realizing that the haziness and the coughing were both from smoke. She tried to pull herself forward, using the pilot's seat as leverage, ignoring the aching in her muscles. Because of the canopy's reluctance to open, she had to twist herself to get out, finding the effort almost more than she could produce. Finally, the Senator slipped free, dropping onto the mostly intact starboard wing, supporting herself on the lip of the cockpit as she slipped on debris caught in the metal, a mixture of leaves, branches, soot, dirt, and what appeared to be grease.

From her new vantage point, Padmé could see Obi-Wan slumped against his restraints, his hair over his face and eyes mostly closed. As she began to regain her footing, he shifted slightly, making another low moan, before falling still again.

Her eyes were then drawn to a not insignificant streak of red on his tunic.

She leaned over the lip of the cockpit, trying to find the clasp to his restraint as the sense of urgency came back, riding the wave of adrenaline rushing her system. The Senator's hands continued to shake, and she had to take a moment to calm herself. "You've been in worse situations than this," she said quietly, taking comfort in the sound of her own voice. "At least you don't have a nexu breathing down your neck." The clasp released, and Padmé caught the Jedi as he overbalanced forward.

At that moment, she heard a low rumbling somewhere off to her left, increasing in volume. The Senator looked up, noticing the fairly dense foliage covering above her. The noise increased, until she heard the scream of aircraft moving over the starfighter. The leaves above her shook, blowing violently to the right, as the craft headed away. Glancing around, taking note of the diffusing smoke from their fighter, Padmé knew it wouldn't be long before they honed in on its location.

She hoped they didn't have an accomplished ground force to back up their air forces.

Padmé shifted Obi-Wan to the port side of the cockpit and stepped onto the seat next to him, being careful to shift his weight towards the back of the seat. "C'mon, Obi-Wan," she murmured to him, wondering if, on some level, the Jedi would be able to hear her. "I'm going to need you for this. I can get you out of the cockpit, but I'm not going to be able to get off this planet without you." She situated the Jedi, putting her arms under his and squatted down, using her legs to lift him up. The Jedi was cumbersome, and the best she managed was to get his upper body leaning over the port lip of the cockpit. She repositioned, grabbing him around the waist, and with a grunt, shifted him until he was doubled over at the waist, his legs still in the cockpit and his upper body outside.

The Jedi groaned again, clearly trying to shift his weight and relieve the pressure on his belly. "I know," Padmé responded, scrambling out of the cockpit only to slip on the remains of the port wing. She barely managed to stay upright. The rumbling from the aircraft was returning, this time from the direction she had last heard it. "I think that's our exit cue."

Grabbing Obi-Wan by the belt, the Senator pulled as hard as she could, doing her best to lift him over the lip, instead of dragging him through. Once his hips cleared, gravity took over, overbalancing Padmé. Her boots skidded on the debris, and she tumbled off the wing onto the ground, smashing her head against the earth. The Jedi followed suit, although he remained with his feet dangling off the edge and most of his upper body on the wing. A moment later, the remains of trees that the fighter brought down with it gave, and Obi-Wan slid to the ground, emitting another moan as he landed.

"Go into politics," Padmé muttered to herself, carefully easing herself upright and clutching her head as pain bloomed from the back towards the front. "See the Galaxy. It's safer than being a handmaiden."

"But not… safer… than being… a Jedi?"

Padmé started, turning to look at Obi-Wan. He had rolled onto his side, and she could see that his face was covered in blood from a scalp wound near his hairline. His hand was red from touching his face, but remarkably, the Jedi looked unconcerned as he inspected it. He looked up at Padmé and gestured to the fighter with the bloody hand. "There's a…. survival kit… Cargo hold," he panted, drawing short, quick breaths after his brief speech.

The Senator scrambled to her feet, ignoring her head, and found the outline of a door on the belly of the fighter, half-buried in the dirt. She knelt and began scooping out the dirt with her hands, almost immediately frustrated by her lack of progress. After another moment, she stopped and crawled over to Obi-Wan, who had curled himself half into the fetal position.

"We have to get away from here. They're looking for the wreckage." Obi-Wan looked at her, pain clear in his blue-green eyes as he nodded slowly, still breathing heavily. "Let me borrow your lightsaber."

The Jedi shifted, rolling slightly to reveal his utility belt with the saber connected to it. Padmé detached it and crawled back over to the fighter. She activated the lightsaber and carefully cut a hole in the metal, revealing her trunk and a few nondescript metal boxes, each labeled with the galactic sign for first aid, a bright red cross. She pulled out two, each about the length of her forearm and about as wide as both her hands.

Padmé started to move away, when the edge of something cloth caught her eye. She pulled it out, revealing Obi-Wan's soft brown cloak. Adding it to the pile, she took those three things back to the Jedi.

His eyes were half closed, but when she was next to him, he panted, "Can't… walk… far…"

Padmé glanced up at the sky. "I know. But we'll get somewhere safe, and then we can both rest."

Obi-Wan struggled to sit up, and Padmé slid an arm under his, helping the Jedi to his feet. He stumbled then stood firm. She returned his lightsaber and looked at the pile of his cloak and the survival kits with a sigh. "I'll come back for them," even as she reached for his cloak.

They stumbled off through the wood, moving slowly over the uneven, uncleared ground. Kenobi walked relatively well for a while, but Padmé knew his strength wouldn't last long. After a little while, Obi-Wan pointed off to their right. "Sense… shelter…" he said, gasping with the effort.

Padmé estimated they were not even 2 klicks from the wreckage but knew there was little to be done about it. "Use your hands to show me where to go. Save your strength," she replied. They walked for a few more minutes, and the Senator noticed that the land was becoming rockier. She could almost see that they were entering outcroppings and a valley of some sort, when Obi-Wan tapped her right shoulder. Steering them that way, they came across a small cliff with a shelf about one and a half meters off the ground. It was maybe two meters tall and extended back about four meters, but it was shelter.

She helped Obi-Wan onto the shelf and helped wrap him in his cloak. His eyes were closed even as he rummaged in a pouch on his utility belt. He handed her a small device and pulled a small bead out with it. "Homing," was all he said, showing her the device before putting it back.

Padmé nodded. "I won't be long."

She headed back towards the wreckage as quickly as possible, frustrated by the hindrance the foliage gave her. She followed the smoke as best she could, although it still took her much longer to find the fighter than it had to get to the shelter.

Once there, she grabbed the survival kits and headed away, painfully aware that the rumblings of the craft were almost constant, zeroing in on the fighter's location. As Padmé dashed away, she though she could hear the breaking of underbrush as others moved towards the wreckage, but she wasn't certain it wasn't only her imagination.

Dusk was falling as she approached the area with the outcroppings again, making it hard to see. Using the tracker, she found the shelf relatively easily. The air was beginning to cool, and the stone was cold as she crawled across it, shoving the kits in front of her.

Obi-Wan had moved towards the back of the shelf, and he stirred as she noisily approached. "Thought… you'd been… discovered," he said quietly, although some strength had returned to his voice.

"No," she replied, a small smile in hers, "but it was closer than I would have liked." Padmé opened the kit and found some pads to clean Obi-Wan's face, bandages for his head, and a lightbank. He sat up, and in silence, she cleaned him up and covered the still damp wound.

Once she had finished, the Senator became aware of the fact that the air had gone cold and it had fallen dark. She reached into the kit to pull out a small warmer, but Obi-Wan shook his head. "We don't produce… enough heat… but that…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"For sensors?" Padmé asked. He nodded slowly, his expression shifting from concern to be unreadable. The Senator looked at the blankets, one in each kit, slowly coming to the same conclusion Obi-Wan had already reached. She doubled one up as a meager defense against the cold stone then glanced at the Jedi who, to her surprise, almost looked embarrassed.

"I'll be… in a healing trance," he offered. Padmé looked at him, then suddenly burst into laughter. After a few moments, Obi-Wan joined in.

The laughter echoed off the rocks for a long time, until exhaustion had set in for both Padmé and Obi-Wan. They settled in, awkwardly trying to find the perfect distance between close enough to benefit from each other's heat but not so close as to imply this was more than a matter of survival.

Before she completely drifted off, Padmé found herself giggling again. Obi-Wan grunted beside her. "The things we have to do for the Republic." She felt Obi-Wan shake his head before exhaustion overcame her.


	7. Treading Lightly

**A/N:** Well, I've already broken my own timeline for how often I hoped to post. Tragically not surprising, unfortunately. Thanks to everyone still reading, especially for those kind enough to leave feedback. Writing helps my sanity, but hearing that other people are enjoying helps me know I'm not crazy. ;) And, as a completely unrelated side note, I hate naming chapters.

**Disclaimers:** As stated before, I don't own any of the characters from George Lucas's Star Wars Universe, and the ones I've invented would never have existed if he hadn't made those movies. Please don't sue. I actually have negative money at this point in my existence.

Feedback/comments/constructive criticism is, as always, welcome.**  
**

* * *

** Treading Lightly  
**

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Anakin stood at the hatch of the shuttle, willing himself to stand motionless. He had left orders with Ron to ready the clones for departure before piloting the shuttle down himself. The Padawan reached out and palmed the hatch release, focusing on the hiss as the door depressurized and swung open, forming a ramp to the ground. 

The sky was painted with sharp oranges and reds smeared in large bands across the sky. Twilight was near, although Anakin couldn't see the sun for rolling hills located beyond the prairie surrounding the enclave.

"Greetings, Padawan Skywalker."

Anakin glanced to his side. At the edge of the landing pad stood P'la Gania. She wore a dark brown robe that extended to the ground, covering her feet. The light from the setting sun outlined her figure as she waiting for Anakin to approach. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she had a slight smile on her face. The Padawan approached, dipping his head respectfully.

"I imagined you differently," the Consular said, turning to walk through the long grass. "Yes, even we here on Dantooine have heard of the miraculous child who is to save us all by brining balance to the Force."

Anakin bristled at the term "child," walking alongside the other Jedi. "How did you imagine me?"

"When one thinks of the child who fulfills the prophecy, one thinks of someone who commands attention, demands his needs be met without compromise or hesitation." She stopped, turning to face Anakin, studying him attentively with eyes dark in the setting sun. "Yet you are hesitant."

Anakin looked down at the smaller Jedi, disconcerted. "Aren't we all uncertain at times? It takes great faith to hand one's life over to the Force."

"You are right." The Jedi Consular shifted her weight slightly, taking a sweeping glance that lingered on Anakin's utility belt, especially where his lightsaber hung. "We need to discuss your expectations, Padawan, before I take you to meet the others who make up this enclave's Council."

The taller Jedi tilted his head to the side. "My expectations?"

P'la smiled again, although the gesture seemed to go no farther than her mouth. "I understand we make a good waystation to other planets, but you will most likely find nothing but heartache on this planet. There will be no one here to help you lead your clone warriors. We are willing to feed your army and help them to break camp, but I doubt it will be enough."

"May I at least talk among your fellow Jedi? Perhaps some will choose to put aside their vows to pacifism to help restore peace in the Galaxy."

"Of course you may speak to the others here, but you shouldn't expect them to change their minds." The Consular sighed. "Have you learned nothing of the other enclaves? Do those on Coruscant forget that there is more out here than the Senate and its childish dealings? The Jedi here are here by choice. We find children just like the Temple and raise them. Much like on Coruscant, until they are thirteen, they have the choice to either be moved to another location if they disagree with the ideals we present, or to leave the Order altogether. They have saber training until then, but not after."

P'la turned, looking out over the plain. She shook her head and sighed, though the sound was almost lost in the wind that moved across the grass. "Did you know that the enclave here was destroyed? Not during the Great Sith War, but only after, when the evil that was Darth Malak swept across the Galaxy. For hundreds of years, the stones that had been torn down lay as rubble, only finally to be rebuilt by a handful of Jedi who sought a greater peace than the one they could find at the end of a lightsaber."

Anakin watched as the wind formed waves within the grass, watching as it swept from one side of the plain to the other, the plants shaking and shuddering. He knew that it would only be a few more minutes before dark finally fell completely. "As Jedi, we are commissioned to defend peace."

The Consular laughed. "I don't believe it is peace that came with you to Dantooine. We are also supposed to use our power to defend and protect, never attack." A look of wry amusement stayed on her face as she glanced at the Padawan. "Tell me, Anakin, have you ever attacked someone?"

Anakin felt heat rush into his face as he thought of Geonosis and Count Dooku, of Tatooine and his mother, and he was grateful for the descending dark. He didn't return P'la's look.

She looked back towards the plain and, after a moment, began walking slowly towards the enclave. "You can ask, but I doubt anyone will choose that path."

The Padawan stood still. He could feel the Force surge around him, sensing the small animals in the field, the knot of sentients gathered in the buildings ahead of them, even dimly aware of the beings scattered among the stars. Especially one in particular.

_Her_.

"Master… We won't be enough, will we," he said quietly, the tone revealing it not as a question, but a truth he already seemed to know.

The smaller Jedi turned, almost indiscernible from the plain behind her. "All we can do is walk the paths before us. Hopefully that's enough."

-------

Obi-Wan awoke to a dull, aching throb in his head and stiffness in his joints. He shifted slowly on the makeshift pallet, enjoying the softness of his cloak and the warmth both it and the blanket over him afforded. His mind drifted over the events of the last hours, the frenzied descent onto the planet and the hurried search for shelter. He focused on the details, using the recollection as a meditation of sorts, a way to access the situation and his own physical state. With no little relief, he came to the conclusion that he was not seriously injured; the healing trance had solved any major problems he may have had, leaving him only with the stiff muscles and a headache, presumably resulting shortly after said impact.

The Jedi glanced around the small shelf, finding Padmé seated on the ledge leading back out into the woods. She had undone her intricate braids and was combing her fingers through her wavy hair. The entire motion spoke of distraction. From what he could see of her face, which was turned mostly away from him, she was looking off into the distance. The navy blue of her flightsuit was streaked with brown and had blotches of green. As he glanced down, he saw his own neutral robes in not much better shape. Instead of brown and green, however, his showed mostly rusty red along the v-neck of his tunic. Gently he touched the bandage wrapped to his forehead, finding it dry and noticing the tips of his fingers also stained.

Obi-Wan moved to the front of the shelf and dangled his legs over the edge. Padmé turned to look at him, a smile quirking her face. "Isn't it rather un-Jedi-like to sleep away the morning?"

The Jedi smiled back. "No more so than crashing his ship into the ground and possibly starting a Galactic incident in the process."

Raising one eyebrow, the Senator shook her head. "I should have asked for another pilot." She turned back away, running her hand back through her hair. "So where do we go from here?"

Obi-Wan ran an eye over their two survival kits. "I'm going to assume that the ship wasn't salvable. Even if it were, we can't go back to it. Unfortunately, the navigation equipment was part of the ship. I'm afraid the best advice I can offer is that we set off in the direction of the largest concentration of beings, assuming that that's the capital."

"I'm guessing you can sense that?"

"Vaguely." He shifted to lean against the side of the shelf. "There certainly aren't any concentrations of sentients nearby."

With a sigh, Padmé jumped down from the ledge onto the forest floor. "Sounds better than setting up camp and starting a new life here." She turned back around and leaned against the ledge, crossing her arms. "We're not going to be able to get off planet quietly," she added, glancing back up at Obi-Wan.

"Speaking as the other half of the human population here on D'Vicia, I'm going to have to agree with you."

The Jedi crawled towards the back of the shelf, gathering up the blankets and the survival kits. He opened one of them and pulled out a large cloth bandage. Then, he stripped the bandage into four pieces lengthwise. He tied two to one of the handles of the kit before tying them to the other handle. Obi-Wan repeated the process before using the bandages to strap the kit to his back. He handed the other two to Padmé, and she did the same thing.

They headed off roughly away from their landing site, angling only slightly. The sun, from what they could see through the branches, had yet to reach its zenith, although it wasn't too far from it. The pair walked in silence for a while, and Obi-Wan began to notice that he was tiring far more quickly than he should. It took him a few more moments to realize that Padmé was making a point to match his pace, despite the fact they were both very eager to find L'sasia, the capital, as quickly as possible.

"How is Anakin doing?"

Obi-Wan was pulled from his reverie by Padmé's soft voice. He took a few more steps, deciding how to respond, before settling on, "He's been distracted, but I wouldn't say it's been any worse than normal. I think he expected the Republic to move more quickly after Geonosis." He stopped, well aware of not answering the question asked. "He's not well suited to inactivity."

The Senator chuckled, the noise low and in the back of her throat. "Who is?"

As they walked, Obi-Wan watched as the scenery around them changed, but never truly became any different. The trees were each different in their details, but when taken together, they were all the same size and shape, creating the inconsistently consistent canopy that mostly sheltered them from the sun. The ground was relatively flat with a slightly incline leading them higher as they progressed. Obi-Wan enjoyed the verdant smell of growth and warmth and dirt. The thought of finding beauty in a situation that was nothing short of disastrous made him think of Qui-Gon and his ever-present cautions to remain focused on the present instead of the future. He smiled at the memory, feeling even now the small ache at his Master's absence.

"What are you thinking of, Obi-Wan?"

He glanced over to see Padmé's eyes dancing with curiosity and amusement. "I was thinking of Qui-Gon."

The Jedi didn't look away as Padmé readjusted her survival kit then slowly pulled her hair back into a bun. "I hope it was a happy memory," she said finally.

One corner of his mouth turned up. "He was well-suited to these kinds of situations."

They walked a little further, coming across a small creek running obliquely through their path. Padmé asked to stop, pulling off the makeshift shoulder straps of her survival kit. Obi-Wan sat by the water, half paying attention as the Senator pulled of her boots and rolled up the cuffs of her flightsuit. He was still distracted, thinking of both his Master and his Padawan.

Padmé dipped her feet into the water, splashing some of it towards the opposite bank. Obi-Wan turned at the sound, finding her studying him. "I'm sorry," she began, pausing, "for what happened to Master Jinn."

Taken aback, Obi-Wan returned her look, seeing instead Qui-Gon's look of shock before he fell, the ebb of the Force as his Master faded away, even as he had had to find it within himself to defeat that _creature_, even as Qui-Gon lay drawing his last few breaths.

Slowly, the Jedi stood up, moving to stand by the water a short distance from Padmé, looking at the reflection of the trees overhead in the ripples. "I wish I could tell you that knowing he died doing his duty helped ease the loss."

Padmé fell still, and Obi-Wan was surprised to sense her uneasiness. Deliberately, she pulled on her boots and began to lace them up, finishing by rolling her pant legs back down. She stood up and looked back over at the Jedi, her dark brown eyes searching his. "He was a great Jedi," she eventually said quietly, "and a privileged person for you to love him so deeply."


	8. A Comfort Killing Night

**A/N:** See previous posts for disclaimers. Nothing has changed in that department. As always, feedback/constructive criticism/etc. is welcomed. Glad that you're all still reading. :)

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Comfort-Killing Night  
**

* * *

Twilight had fallen throughout the forest as Padmé and Obi-Wan found a small cleaning in which to make camp for the evening. The dim light that was left filtered through the trees, causing a diffuse haze through areas both dark and not-dark. Padmé noticed this as she collected small sticks and twigs; Obi-Wan thought that they were far enough from discovery to light a fire in order to preserve the fuel that ran the warmers. As she searched for the kindling, also making note of the larger branches to use later, she was amused at her sense of festivity. The Senator was greatly looking forward to sitting next to the campfire and having warm food, whatever Obi-Wan could find, after the long day of walking seemingly to nowhere.

She brought an armload back and deposited it near the area they had cleared of fallen leaves for the fire pit and went back to start collecting the larger logs and branches. By the time she had a decently sized pile, Obi-Wan had return with some small bird-like animal. It was a quadruped with wings, covered in small, fine feathers that would have easily been mistaken for fur at a distance. The Jedi set about skinning it and set up a spit, after digging through the branches Padmé had brought back for two forked ones and a fairly straight one to serve.

It was completely dark by the time the two had settled next to the fire, with Obi-Wan sedately watching over his catch as it cooked and Padmé lying on one of the blankets, leaning against her arms and blankly watching the fire.

"What do you plan to do, once the war is over and your term as Senator is complete?"

Padmé jerked at Obi-Wan's soft voice, confused for a moment as she brushed off the drowsiness her tired body and the warm fire had worked together to create. She considered for a moment. "I guess I've always thought I would go back to the mountains where I grew up. I miss spending time with my family, but the Senate demands so much." She trailed off, thinking of the steep, harsh mountains, capped in snow in the winter and with clear, cool streams running down through the valleys in the summer. "Or I could go to the Lake Country. Perhaps I could teach in the Apprentice Legislature program. What of you, Obi-Wan? What will the Order demand of you once the conflict has finished?"

He smiled, though part of the expression was lost to shadows, and continued slowly rotating the spit. "I imagine it will be much as it was before the Nubian invasion. I shall finish training Anakin and maybe take on another apprentice. It is very hard running after one, however. I could always teach within the Temple, or go to live in one of the outlying enclaves for a few years and learn other Force techniques."

Padmé chuckled, shifting to sit cross-legged. "I can't imagine the great Obi-Wan Kenobi going to live a life of quiet contemplation after being the lauded General and Negotiator of the Republic."

The Jedi raised one eyebrow questioningly. "And you? You're more a public figure than I. Wouldn't the mountains be too quiet?"

"I think that being raised somewhere remote and sparsely populated does something to you. It gets into your blood. As much as I love Coruscant and the hectic, exciting life of being a Senator, I still dream of the mountains, of the simple people with whom I grew up. I just breathe easier there."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "I feel that way about the Temple," he replied slowly. Carefully, he removed the spit and propped it up, allowing the meat to cool. Padmé watched as he worked, admiring the flickering of the fire in front of him.

"Don't you ever dream of something more?"

The Jedi looked across the fire at her, pausing as he stripped the meat and separated it into two piles. "I don't understand." He watched her, head slightly tilted as he looked into her eyes, for a moment longer before returning to what he was doing.

"I asked Anakin about being a Jedi, how it must be difficult to dedicate your life and never get to see the ones you love or do the things you want."

A strange expression crossed Obi-Wan's face before fading into a quirked smile. "I imagine he told you that Jedi were forbidden to love or even form attachment."

"I'm not sure such a thing is possible. I don't think I've met a Jedi yet who has no attachments." Her face was expressionless as Obi-Wan glanced back at her, his own expression unchanged.

"Master Jinn loved the Jedi, Master Windu loves the Republic, and Master Yoda loves the Force." She then grinned before adding, "I don't think we need to discuss the things Anakin loves."

The Jedi Knight smiled back, although the expression wasn't reflected in his eyes. "I suppose there's truth to those statements. But I believe that most of the Jedi, at least those I know, love this life in some way. The ones who don't generally don't chose to take the Oath."

Obi-Wan paused and looked down at the remains of the carcass, pulling the last of the meat from it before handing Padmé her portion. He buried the remainder of the animal beneath the hot coals, watching as the last of the meat and fat began to sear from the bones, leaving nothing behind that would attract predators to their small camp.

Padmé ate slowly, savoring the warmth of the food and the delicate flavor of the meat. They sat in silence while they ate, both watching as the flames moved around the logs and wavered amidst the coals, each reflecting a different shade of red. The Senator shivered slightly as she thought of Geonosis and the droid factory that had been there. Even as she sat before the fire on D'Vicia, she could feel the sand beneath her back as she lay on the dune, the pain in her side from the nexu's slash, and the knot in her stomach that had never quite relaxed after Count Dooku's betrayal.

"Are you cold?"

She glanced up to find Obi-Wan looking at her with concern. Giving a half-hearted smile, she shook her head. "I was just thinking of Geonosis."

"Do you believe we'll survive this conflict without dividing the Republic?" Obi-Wan was watching the fire again, but the Senator could tell that he was seeing something else, much farther away.

"Are you asking the Senator or simply me?" Padmé laughed in reply.

Obi-Wan chuckled in response. "What's the difference?"

"Well, the Senator is trained to tell you at least a morsel of what you want to hear, even while trying to prepare you for what's more likely to happen. I will simply tell you what I believe." Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side, a slight smirk still on his face. "The Senator says that it's likely we'll find a way to resolve this issue, though we must remember to keep the diplomatic channels open. However, it's not likely to happen either quickly or easily."

"And what do you say, Padmé?"

She became very still, only one hand moving to instinctively check the holster on her utility belt, as well as the other various buckled and snapped pouches hanging there. "I think with the emergency powers the Chancellor has taken on and the viciousness of the Separatists' attacks, we may lose more than we should be willing to give up to keep this republic intact," Padmé finally responded quietly.

Obi-Wan reached up and fingered the blood-stained collar of his tunic, and Padmé noticed for the first time the calluses on his fingers, almost translucent in the firelight, from long years of training. "I'm not sure the Jedi are the only ones who don't get to go where they want or be with the people they love," he finally responded, "but at least we're trained to expect it."

The Jedi stood up slowly and began to spread out the logs and put dirt onto the fire to stifle it. Padmé drew a long breath before grabbing the other blanket and Obi-Wan's cloak to make their small, warm bed for the night.

-------

Padmé suddenly came awake.

She could feel a hand over her mouth, gently pressed against her lips in the universal sign to remain quiet. On her lips, she could feel rough patches in the skin, making her want to wet her lips. She could also feel a hand on her arm, pressure being put onto her bicep to keep her from making any sudden movements.

Behind her, she could sense Obi-Wan, his body neatly fit into hers, still generating heat, his slow, even breathing close to her ear.

Shifting just slightly, she willed the Jedi to be aware of the fact that, yes, she was awake.

Obi-Wan's breathing moved closer to her ear, and suddenly, she received the impression of hearing a noise in front of them and off the direction towards her feet. She also saw, though more intuition than actual image, herself reaching for her blaster at ready without alerting whatever had made the noise to the fact she was awake. Padmé nodded slowly, and Obi-Wan's hands moved from her mouth and arm.

Her hand found her blaster, tucked in the crook formed by her bent hips and, under the cover of the blanket and cloak, disengaged the safety. Then, she waited, hearing nothing beyond the sound of Obi-Wan's and her own breathing.

After a few long moments, she heard what she assumed had woken Obi-Wan; a snap of a branch came, as well as the soft crunch of both dry and green leaves.

Padmé's fingers tightened over the grip of her blaster, and her eyes searched through the darkness, wishing there were more moonlight to illuminate the night. After scanning the area, she distinguished a shadow from the surrounding trees that was creeping near the edge of the clearing. It appeared to be a biped, although its arms were long enough that it could travel on all four limbs if it chose. She also saw some kind of staff slung over its shoulder, which bobbed against the sky as it moved along.

The sentient moved closer to the fire, and the Senator felt Obi-Wan tense behind her. Feeling her handmaiden training take over, she instinctively stood when the Jedi did, finding herself suddenly behind him as his lightsaber sprang to life, training her blaster on the intruder.

In the diffuse light from the lightsaber, Padmé could see that the being was covered in short, lightly spotted fur and wearing a loose, dark shirt and loose pants about the same color as its fur. It held in its paws the staff that she had seen it carrying, although it looked more like a bow now that she saw it. The intruder had the weapon held out in front of it, something nocked in the string.

It said something in a language that Padmé didn't understand. In front of her, Obi-Wan shifted his stance to a more defensive position. "I recommend you leave us alone. We don't wish you any harm but are fully prepared to defend ourselves."

The creature tipped its head and pulled back the string to its bow a little tighter. It repeated whatever it had said the first time. Padmé steadied her hold on her blaster, taking another look at the creature's weapon. She had never seen anything like it before, and suspected it wasn't a laser weapon, like a bowcaster. There was nothing on it that looked big enough to be a power supply, let alone anything to generate the beam.

She glanced back at Obi-Wan who was still talking to the intruder in a low, soothing voice. It wavered between aiming at the two of them, the point of its weapon oscillating from one to the other, and began speaking with far more agitation. Padmé watched as it tensed and suddenly found her hands tightening on her blaster. With a quick flick of her fingers, she changed the setting and aimed.

She fired the blaster as the creature began to release the bowstring, Obi-Wan partially in mid-swing to block her and counter the attack. The Jedi dodged to the side, barely avoiding being hit, as the being crumpled to the ground. Padmé checked the creature making sure it was unconscious, as Obi-Wan watched warily, lightsaber ready.

The Senator quirked a smile. "Lightsabers can't be set to stun," she said, walking over to the survival kits. Pulling out another of the bandages, she and Obi-Wan quickly tied up the creature before it awoke again.

"Could you understand it?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't think it meant to kill us, though I do think it fully intended to take us back to its home. Either way, it knew we didn't belong." He turned to inspect the ground where it had aimed. After a moment, he came up with a long, thin metal rod with a razor-sharp edge at its point. He pulled it out of where it had lodged in the ground and showed it to Padmé.

She looked at it for a moment before glancing at the Jedi. He walked over to the survival kits and pulled out some bandages. He stripped them and bound up the creature tightly, moving his bow and his quiver far out of reach.

Padmé let out a long breath and sat down on the blanket, replacing the safety on her blaster and throwing it next to her. She looked again at the dart, slowly realizing that Obi-Wan was watching her. She set the dart aside, next to her blaster, before turning to the Jedi. "Do you ever get used to it? The moment where you know it's either him or you?"

Obi-Wan squatted down next to her, gently touching the hilt of his lightsaber. "No, Padmé. I think I'd be afraid if that point ever came. We should always be reluctant to make that decision."

The Senator felt her head dip and her shoulders relax, and she covered her face with her fingers, gently rubbing at her eyes and forehead. She remotely sensed Obi-Wan sit down next to her and pull her part of the way into his lap, cradling her head against his chest.

Her hands and cheeks felt slick as they sat there a moment. "There's been so much death…" she said quietly.

Obi-Wan assented, gently smoothing her hair. The moment passed, and Padmé shakily pulled away, drained from the emotion of their encounter with the intruder and confused by her moment of vulnerability.

The Jedi moved away to give her some space. "We should probably leave before his friends come looking for him," Obi-Wan said, nodding towards the creature.

Padmé nodded slowly, gathering up her blaster and putting her utility belt back on. She packed away the blankets and handed Obi-Wan back his cloak.

She glanced at the bound, unconscious creature before wiping the last of the moisture from her eyes and face. "I just hope they don't come looking for us."


	9. Waking Dreams

**A/N:** See previous posts for disclaimers. Nothing has changed in that department. As always, feedback/constructive criticism/etc. is welcomed. Glad that you're all still reading. :) Also, many thanks to VaderLVR64 for the beta.

**Chapter 9: Waking Dreams**

_I slowly came awake, unaware of anything that should have roused me. I reached out with my senses, searching within the Force for a hint of danger, that shift that would indicate if where the threat lay. There was nothing there; I could sense the foliage around me, the tall trees with winged creatures roosted for the night, as well as other animals move through the underbrush, giving us a wide berth, sensing that we were something _foreign_. Padm__é was curled up behind me, breathing slowly and evenly, occasionally twitching gently in her sleep._

_I shook my head slightly, now more awake, and carefully moved away from her, making sure to leave the blankets and my cloak still wrapped around her. I stood up and walked a short distance from where we had spread out the blankets, feeling a strong pull to look at the stars. Even as I glanced up, I knew the leaves would block my view._

_I walked over to the stream and cupped my hands together, taking a small drink. Dimly in the back of my mind, I was aware that I should be concerned about filtering the water, not knowing what kinds of infectious fauna existed on this planet. Then the thought was gone, and I let the water drain out of my hands, drying them on my tabard._

"_Obi-Wan?"_

_Padmé was propped on one arm, and I could see her sleep-filled eyes quickly scanning to find me. "I'm right here," I replied, taking a few steps back towards the camp. She laid her head back down and curled up tighter; I could see her shiver slightly as she shifted to lie back down._

"_The cold must have awaken me," she said, her voice muffled by the blanket and my cloak. I smiled faintly, hearing what she didn't say._

_Crawling back under the blanket, I settled on my back, still vainly trying to see through the leaves. I gradually realized that Padmé's eyes were still open, and she was looking across my chest towards the small stream. She saw me turn my head, and our eyes met for a moment, both realizing that the other was no longer tired._

_Uncharacteristically, Padmé dropped hers and moved, trying to find a more comfortable position. I looked back up at the trees until she grew still. Finally, she drew a long breath. "What's it like growing up in the Temple?"_

_I turned back to look at her, somewhat confused by the question. "I don't know what you mean."_

"_Instead of with a family. What was it like to grow up to be a Jedi?"_

_I chuckled quietly, although not entirely with humor. "Not everyone who grows up in the Temple becomes a Jedi. I almost didn't; if Qui-Gon hadn't taken me as a Padawan…" I trailed off, thinking of those frightening weeks when I had thought I was going to become a farmer – not a Jedi._

"_I just can't imagine what it would have been like."_

_A smile curled at the edges of my mouth, and she smiled slightly in response. "I don't know the difference. Growing up with a family instead of crèche-mates and Masters seems as foreign to me as Force games and saber training does to you."_

_She laughed and changed positions again, propping her head on her hand. "I thought the Jedi were too serious for games. They might detract from your training: no games or jokes or crushes…" She stopped suddenly, and I could almost hear thoughts shift to Anakin._

"_We are only sentient," I replied after a long moment. "We have emotions even if we're taught not to let them govern our decisions and lives." I let out a soft breath, thinking of my first kiss._

"_And the rest of the galaxy is taught to think of the Jedi without emotions or desires."_

_We both fell silent at that, and I looked back up, pondering that piece of information. Padmé moved closer to me, and I could feel her hand, the coolness of her skin seeping through my tunic, where it lay next to my arm. I then grabbed her hand, marveling for a moment at how small it was, and cupped it between my own, trying to warm it up._

_She looked at me, her dark eyes hesitant for a moment, and then the Senator pulled her hand away, cupped my jaw in her hands, and kissed me._

_My cheeks grew warm beneath her cool hands, and her soft lips pressed against mine. My body turned, seemingly without any instruction from my mind, and my arms were suddenly around her, pulling her closer to me._

_Her lips parted slightly, and I could feel her breath against my mustache before she gently trapped my lower lip between her teeth. Her hands moved, and she gently positioned me until I was resting my head on her arm, mine still wrapped around her, her face right above mine. Padmé pulled away, and the night air was icy on my face, so warm only moments ago._

_Her dark eyes bore into mine for a moment, a question hovering there as she tilted her head ever so slightly._

_Cupping her head in my hand, I pulled her back to me, rolling her on top of me, finding a fierce yearning in my movements that weren't there before._

_I felt that longing mirrored in her as Padmé responded in kind._

Obi-Wan came awake suddenly, painfully conscious of the sharp exhalation that rushed out of his mouth as he jerked. He could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest as he reached out into the Force. Padmé was curled up behind him, her breath slow and long, lying motionless in her sleep.

The Jedi sat up carefully, extricating himself from the tangle of blankets and his cloak. He moved away, feeling a miasma of déjà vu and disorientation. Pulling out a water bottle, Obi-Wan moved a short distance away to sit on a rock near where they had built the fire the night before. He poured some of the water on his hands and splashed it onto his face, scrubbing a hand through his beard to flip the water away.

He looked back towards the Senator, her face hidden in a halo of dark, wavy hair that had escaped from her braid and drew a long breath. The yearning from the dream was still with him, a shaky, indistinct feeling that seemed to seep from him as he sat there. Obi-Wan glanced away from her, still aware of the almost-real weight of her on top him and the real feeling of her in his arms the day before.

Placing the water bottle on the ground, he cradled his head in his hands and propped his elbows on his knees, and somewhere in the depths of his thoughts he noted that _his_ hands were warm. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out into the Force, trying to find solace in the vast currents of it. He tried to gather his emotions together to release them into the Force as he had been taught to do, but they remained elusive, sliding away like sparks spat up from a fire.

After a few moments, he calmed his breathing down and wrapped himself into the Force, losing himself in meditation. Despite being immersed, Obi-Wan found it difficult to release the feelings left over from the dream; he could almost reach them, almost pull them close enough to redirect the emotions into the Force, but it was as though they were tethered. He couldn't grasp them strongly enough.

Instead, he delved into the current, the roaring maelstrom that was the Force, and lost himself to it.

-------

He was thinking of her.

Out on the plain, the clone camp had been set up in three short days. A gradually sloping ridge surrounded one side, separating the camp from the enclave, and from that vantage point, Anakin could see most of the camp, as well as a far distance beyond until rolling hills blocked the horizon. It was late, and only a few lights permeated the camp, creating small islands of color in the spectrum of gray, black, and white that comprised the meadow.

Anakin was perched on a small rock that jutted out from the ground, his hands clasped in front of him as he leaned on his legs and looked alternately from the camp to the sky. His eyes were unfocused on that which was before him; instead, he could see her dark hair and pale skin, soft lips pursed and partially open. The Jedi closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and smelling the sweet scent of the grasses around him, and he reached out into the Force, seeking for her.

In the equipment bag that hung from his belt, Anakin could sense the small piece of japor he now kept with him, although he resisted the urge take it out and look at it. Through it, he could feel her presence, even without touching the organic material and tracing the lines, as he could sense that she had done so many times before. With it, he could focus his meditation and use it to hone his senses, blocking out what was not _her_.

Anakin found her presence there, a soft beacon calling to him in a way that he couldn't explain; it was the same way he had known that his mother was all right and, towards the end, even happy until, abruptly, she wasn't. The feeling was nothing he could articulate, an ache that drew his attention inexorably if only faintly. There, he could sense weariness with a vague pleasant tinge. A smile hovered on his lips for a moment, finding happiness in what he presumed was her happiness.

_She's so far away._

Pulling away, he instinctively felt along his bond to Obi-Wan. The older Jedi seemed to be lost in the Force, his signature barely discernable amongst the currents that ran through the Force. Even now, after ten years, Anakin marveled at his Master's ability to almost completely give himself up to his meditations and his duties, almost to the point where the aura that was Obi-Wan Kenobi disappeared, pulled into the Force's embrace. He knew of no other Jedi who had this ability.

However, he also didn't share a close bond with any other Jedi.

Leaving Obi-Wan, Anakin returned his focus to Dantooine, sensing out beyond the small, sparsely populated planet into the system beyond. Even in the Force, he could find no concrete threat, no hint as to what the Council might have sensed when they sent him here. There was only the shadow of the Separatists, a living, crawling entity that Anakin could sense creeping slowly across the Republic. Anakin was sure it would find its way to Dantooine; he just hoped it was soon.

The Jedi Padawan had traded one form of inactivity for another, and he wasn't entirely comfortable with it.

He closed his eyes and thought of that moment on Geonosis, the moment before entering the arena.

Anakin had been endlessly and euphorically aware of Padmé standing next to him, chained to the grav sled. His nostrils had been filled with her scent, not the scent of the Nubian Queen, a mixture of the sweet grainy smell of her ritual make-up and the rich, heavy scent of her finely made clothes, or the thick, aromatic fragrance of the Nubian Senator, with expensive native perfume brushed into her only slightly less elaborate hair-dos, the perfume that made Anakin turn in public areas, only to shake his head sadly when he realized she wasn't there. It had been the smell of Padmé Naberrie: a clean, musky, faint trace of the smell of her skin and her sweat, the sand and dirt caught in her hair with the tang of the heat and metal from the workshop. It was a smell that reminded him of Tatooine and his mother. To the Jedi Padawan, it was the smell of honest work done by honest people, unashamed of who they were and what they did.

It was so over-powering to him that his breath had caught in his throat, and Anakin had wanted to distract himself from it, from the almost certain fact that he was going to die here, and with him would die Padmé. He would never see, or speak with, or smell her again.

"Don't be afraid."

Padmé had glanced over her shoulder, her dark eyes looking steadily into his with a calm that Anakin couldn't grasp, couldn't understand. For a moment, he felt something within him contract, heard her say that she loved him, she had always loved him, and she didn't care what it took for them to be together, as long as they were together, even if was only for the few instants they had left here, on this dirty, forsaken planet, with all of the words tumbling out of her mouth rushed by an emotion that defied words, the emotion he had felt whenever he saw her, even that very first time.

Then she blinked, saying, "I'm not afraid to die." The breath caught on her lips, and a sad, sardonic smile played across her lips. "Ever since I decided to go back to Naboo and reclaim what the Trade Federation so unjustly took, I haven't been afraid to die. I've been more afraid of the death of goodness and justice, because the face of death is nothing compared to atrocities committed on my planet in the name of profit."

Whatever it was within him that had contracted suddenly sprang back at her words, leaving him breathless again. The Jedi had had to look away, so disconcerted that he was almost knocked off his feet when the Geonosian cracked his whip, urging the beast dragging the grav sled into languid motion. The light in the arena blinded him after the dark staging area, and Anakin blamed the tears that briefly appeared in his eyes on that.

Anakin was unaware of how long he sat on the stone with his head cradled in his hands, but he knew it was long enough for his hands and face to dry, leaving a trace of stiffness from the salt in his tears.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking of him.


	10. Talisman

**A/N: **As always, I'm glad you're still with me, despite the slow writing. I appreciate all of the reviews and people adding this story to their favorites. :) Many thanks also to VaderLVR64 at TF.N, my patient and encouraging beta.

**Disclaimer:** It's been a while, so I'll repeat myself. O hail the Mighty Flanneled One, in whose sandbox we love playing. Please don't sue; I'm actually currently worth negative money. I promise I'll clean them up before I give them back.

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**Chapter 10: Talisman**

The rain fell, making a rhythmic sound on the leaves overhead as Padmé realized her hair was damp. She rolled on the makeshift pallet, shifting from her side to her belly, grimacing at the ache in her hip. Water dripped from the canopy overhead, forming drops larger than any rain she had ever seen, and it was then the Senator realized that Obi-Wan's cloak was the only thing keeping her from being completely soaked. The edges of the blanket peeping out from under the cloak were dark with wet.

Obi-Wan was sitting on a rock, staring into the remnants of the fire pit, his eyes not focused on the cold coals. The tightness of his shoulders wasn't lost on her, any more than how firmly he clasped his hands together, hanging between his knees as he leaned over them. Then, as though he could feel her gaze on him, the Jedi seemed to come back to himself, glancing over to where Padmé was ensconced. His auburn hair was plastered to his head, and the shoulders of his tunic were a darker version of their normal cream – that which wasn't already dirty or blood-flecked.

Seeing Padmé shift beneath the covers, Obi-Wan cocked his head to the side, focusing his cerulean eyes on the Senator. With a quirk of the corner of his mouth, he asked "Pleasant dreams?"

Padmé shrugged as best she could while propping herself up on her arms. "Too tired for dreams. Jedi may be used to this kind of exertion, but senators are not."

Obi-Wan's mouth flattened out and twitched before gave her a wry smile. "I think this falls under the category of 'Things They Don't Teach You at the Temple.'"

The Senator wriggled out from under the blanket and the cloak, grabbed the latter, and walked over to Obi-Wan. "You look like you need this," she said, before, settling herself on the marginal space remaining on the rock. He took the cloak, moving slightly to accommodate her, but made no move to throw it over his shoulders. Instead, he glanced down at it in his hands, gently fingering the fabric before his hands fell still.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Padmé painfully aware that it was not as companionable as it had been. Water continued to drip down from the trees, and she watched as it began to soak through the previously dry blanket.

"I think we'll be to the city soon, maybe two more days," Obi-Wan remarked, still looking at the cloak. He blinked, a rivulet of water creeping out from his hairline down along his forehead, before giving his head a shake, scattering the droplets.

"Probably more in this weather," Padmé replied critically, glancing up at the dark canopy. She put a hand to her own head, feeling the wet curls that had escaped from her braid. "What a sight we'll be, damp and dirty, marching into the capital."

The Jedi chuckled at this comment, a low sound in the back of his throat, although his expression didn't change. Padmé shifted her weight on her portion of the rock; she could still feel the dull ache deep inside her hip. Despite the sturdy construction of her flight suit, the Senator was also aware of the cold seeping in, just as the wetness was patiently making its way through her thick hair.

"You know," she said quietly, almost to herself, "I wonder if this will ever be over. After the battle on Naboo, I believed that it would be a matter settled quickly; the Trade Federation would be brought to justice after what was clearly an illegal occupation. I assumed it wouldn't take too long to repair the damage done to Theed and the surrounding countryside. Yet, the beings in charge of the invasion still haven't seen the inside of a courtroom, and there are still parts of Naboo where you can see the damage left behind. Even the people are different. Warier."

Padmé glanced at the Jedi to find him watching her, a blank, attentive expression on his face. "Is that how this will be, Obi-Wan? How long must we give our lives to this? How much blood must be shed in pursuit of freedom and justice? Is this the Republic we both swore at least part of our lives to?"

She stood, moving restlessly about the camp before coming to a stop over the remains of the fire. "I won't stop fighting for the Republic, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if we've already lost sight of it." The rain continued to fall, rhythmic sounds encompassing the two humans, as drops fell from their precarious positions on the leaves above. If she turned, Padmé knew that she would see the patterns left in the stream from the rain, circles encompassing one another, growing ever larger until other drops disrupted the pattern.

Obi-Wan came up behind her, draping the cloak over her shoulders before standing next to her. "Qui-Gon would say that we're focusing too much on the future at the expense of the present." There was just a tinge of amusement in the statement, leaving Padmé with the sense that he'd heard that particularly saying a multitude of times.

A fine tremor ran up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around herself. After a moment, she began to speak, almost to herself instead of Obi-Wan. "I remember going to the camps – on Naboo – after we had retaken Theed," she said quietly, staring sightlessly at the firepit. "The whole blockade took 43 days from start to finish. The Neimoidians cleared out the city within the first week – to make an example of them, to quell rebellion." The Senator stopped, chafing her hands along her forearms. "I didn't know you could die of starvation in that amount of time. I thought – I thought once the war was over, it was just a matter of sending the people back to their homes. The Neimoidians hardly even fed them." Padmé swallowed, feeling the warm tears on her face in sharp contrast with the cold rain. "Is this what awaits systems taken by the Separatists? Or even by the Republic?"

The Jedi pulled her in his embrace, gently cradling Padmé's head against his chest. She continued to murmur into his tunic, occasionally pounding her fists against him, railing at the pointlessness of war and its accompanying sense of helplessness. Obi-Wan held her close, gently rocking her and responding with nonsense spoken in soft, soothing tones. Eventually, Padmé subsided, and Obi-Wan could feel her fatigue as she lay her head against his chest, still emitting a hiccupping sob every once in a while.

"Padmé."

Obi-Wan's voice had a soft lilt to it, something she hadn't noticed before. Gently, his hands steady on her shoulders, he pulled her away from him until she faced him. He cupped her face in his hands, and Padmé could feel the calluses on his palms, smooth thickenings at the base of each finger, a cold solid contrast to the warmth of his fingers and the hollows of his hands.

"When you carry a true calling for something, as you do for your people, whether those of Naboo or those of the Republic, it's never something born lightly or easily." He paused, drawing a sigh, and she watched as his brilliant eyes shifted first to one of hers and then to the other, trying to make her understand. "We can only make the choices that seem best at the time, no regretting the information or the abilities that we don't have."

Then, the Jedi smiled. "Padmé, you are a courageous woman, strong enough to have carried her people through a horrific time, brave enough to win back what was so wrongfully taken from your people." A chuckle bubbled up from his chest, making the Senator smile in return. "You even saved a Jedi's life. You shouldn't doubt that you have the ability to do what's necessary. I don't believe you think the Republic is beyond repair; I think you would have left your position as Senator of Naboo long ago if that were the case."

Obi-Wan paused, suddenly solemn, and Padmé could feel the ball of his thumb trace the outline of her cheekbone, a faint touch that wiped away some of the tears still smeared on her face. He leaned forward, and his lips brushed against hers, and Padmé could feel the warmth of his breath against her cool skin, suddenly causing goosebumps to ripple across the back of her neck and down her arms.

He pulled away just far enough for his eyes to come back into focus. "You are the strongest person I know," Obi-Wan said, and Padmé could still feel the brush of his breath across her lips, "and I'm honored to call you my friend."


End file.
